The Rules Are Simple
by Erica McSwarek
Summary: The days leading up to and the day of Sam's confession while she holds the bomb. From both points of view. Maybe even a little OOC for Andy at one point. Hope you all enjoy. *It is a one shot.* Rated M for language.


_**A/N: I know I've done something similar to this but this is truly a one shot and for some reason when it came to me I couldn't stop. In mine she never goes to Luke about Dakota and I named the ETF guy Dis because I don't remember his name.**_

The Rules are simple.

Never let the armor crack. Never let her see how much you miss her. Never let her know that you've regretted every single day since you walked away. Never let her know your heart shattered when you drove off, leaving her in the rain crying. Smile and keep going, she'll be better off in the end. Both of you will.

Love her from a far. You spent two years doing it. Protect her from knowing, from feeling what Traci is going through. She's angry and hurt but she can come back from this. You can come back from this. Losing her permanently would be like the last star in the universe dying.

Just breathe and keep going. You're doing it because you love her and can't bear the thought of this world without her. She'll understand one day.

Becca is a great cover. To most it would look like she's flirting with Sam but she's really after Ollie. Sam stands a little too close and smiles a little too much. It makes him sick to see her looking so hurt by his actions but it has to be this way. Out of the corner of his eye he watches as she wipes away a stray tear. He feels like he's been gut punched but he has to keep going, has to keep protecting her.

It makes her sick watching him with her. Did she ever mean anything to him? Was she just a distraction? He'd once said. _"All you wanted was to keep being a cop and all I wanted was you."_ She wipes the stray tear from her cheek. It seems to be all she can do since Jerry died and Sam left her standing in the rain. She's tried to stay strong for Traci but even she's starting to notice. He's just smiling and acting like nothing happened, like they never meant anything. She can't even bring herself to speak to him when he says good morning now. Not since the day he asked for his spare keys back.

Sam has to hold back the bile threatening to rise up in him. His heart is barely making it and seeing her cry _more_ because of him, it's just too much. He watches as she looks defeated and walks towards the restroom. He takes a minute to let the mask drop and breathe a little. Becca leans in to ask him something about Oliver and he smiles. It doesn't look like Ollie and Zoe are going to work things out and Becca is really sweet, she might be good for his best friend right now. He leans in to answer her question and sees Andy watching.

She comes back out from the bathroom and sees Sam whispering in Becca's ear. She can't hate her because it's not her fault. But Sam, she can hate him. He's ripping out what little bit of her heart is left with everything he is doing. She sees him catch her eye and he doesn't even look ashamed. He just keeps smiling. She doesn't even feel her feet carry her over there. Next thing she knows she's standing in front of Sam. He looks somewhat surprised at her presence. She doesn't even realize she's raised her hand until she feels the sting from the contact with his face. You could hear a pin drop in the Penny. She turns and walks out into the rain again, and cries as she walks home.

Sam sees her approach and isn't sure what is about to happen here. He's tried to talk to her since he broke up with her but she won't even acknowledge him and he can't blame her. He wants her to forgive him but that doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon. Plus, there's tonight. He's putting on a show and he knows it's killing _her _because it's killing _him. _He doesn't expect her next move. She slaps him, hard. He's pretty sure he stopped breathing.

The noise level kicks back up as soon as she walks out the door. Oliver moves over and puts his hand on his shoulder. "You ok brother?" Sam nods. "You're a fucking idiot." Sam nods again. He waits a few minutes before grabbing his jacket and leaving. She hasn't spoken one word to him since he asked for his keys back. He's tried, he really has tried to still be there but she closed herself off completely to him. Tonight was the first kind of interaction in weeks; she's even stopped calling him.

When she gets home she turns off her phone, takes a hot shower, and collapses into her warm bed. The weeks of tears and heartache come crashing down on her and she falls asleep. She has the next day off and has told herself she has _one_ more day to grieve for her lost relationship with Sam. She spends it cleaning her apartment and answering texts from her friends about the night before.

Work has pretty much gone back to normal. Everyone is still reeling from losing Jerry but they seem to be slowly picking themselves back up and moving forward. Today is the day she starts to do that too. She comes out of the locker room and Sam is standing there talking to Oliver. He reaches out to her but she just keeps moving. "Andy?"

She feels relief when she hears at Parade that Ollie and Sam won't be there for the day. They've been assigned to help another division. There's a big football game going on and they all have to work it. It's a big rival game between the Raiders and the Bucks. A fight breaks out and they have to take three of the guys in. All hell breaks loose at the station when one of the guys pulls a gun. Chris tries to talk him down and offers to call his wife. When he turns to get his cell phone a sniper takes the gunman out.

Oliver and Sam hear about the shooting on the radio and rush back to the barn. All Sam can think about is her and if she is safe; regretting even more his actions of leaving her. They rush in to find Frank talking to Diaz, Peck, Epstein, and McNally. He won't let them talk to their rookies. He sees that she's unharmed but she won't even look at him. It takes hours with I.A. and everyone's fate is still unknown as she walks out to join the others at the Penny.

She sees him fall in step beside her. There's so much he wants to say but he can't find the words. "Hey." He finally manages.

She's too angry with him and worried about the day to deal with this. "What are you still doing here?"

He sighs as he tries to keep up with her. "I just...I wanted to see if you were ok."

She never breaks her stride or looks at him. "Yeah well, that's not your job anymore." And she picked up her pace, leaving him watching her retreating form. He lets his head fall as he hears the door to the Sally Port click shut. He goes back to the locker room and grabs his bag. He's supposed to join Ollie at the Penny for a drink. When he walks in he sees her at the bar with G.I. Joe. He likes Collins, thinks he's going to be an amazing cop but he _doesn't_ like the bond he's formed with Andy. Even though he's with Peck there's the niggling feeling when he sees them together.

Andy ignores Sam's heated glare as she talks to Nick. _He_ has no right to be jealous, not after Becca. The next day would prove to be one in a long line of her worst days on the job. John Grey escapes from a prison transport and assaults her as she tries to stop him. He takes her gun and later they learn her phone. Everyone is involved in the manhunt and quite a few times she's had to deal with Sam. The look of concern when he sees her confuses her. They all split up and search the surrounding areas after Sam gets a call and can hear the sirens from the scene on the phone. She's with Dov and they get the hotel close by. Andy finds the girl that he has kidnapped and she's holding a bomb. After Gray realizes that he's not getting Eden back he leaves. Andy gets the bomb away from the little girl. Sam and Nick are there which should make her feel better but it doesn't.

Sam's heart literally stops when he runs up and sees her holding a live grenade. She tells them to get Katie out. "Collins! Collins, any thoughts?"

Nick can barely keep it together. He's become really close to Andy _and _it reminds him of Afghanistan. He steadies his breath as he gives Sam the information he needs. "M-67, 4.5 second delay after release. Do _not_ release that in here. I'll send ETF in here, ok?"

Sam nods. "Ok. Go!"

All Andy could think was _Thank God Katie is out. _She's going crazy on the inside. She's never been this close to a grenade. Not that it's been at the top of her _To Do _list or anything. No matter how angry and hurt she is with Sam, this is _not_ where she wants him. "Sam, you don't have to be here...just...go."

He steps closer as she tells him to leave. There is _nothing _in this universe that would get him out of there short of being physically carried out by a few people. All he can say is. "No." He can't leave her, no more than he can stop loving her. He's been trying for days, since the shooting, to figure out how to tell her. To tell her it was the worst mistake of his life and that he loves her.

She can't believe she's here. She _really _is a danger magnet. Sam watches as she huffs out. "How many bones are in the human body?" Katie had been counting them when she found her.

He can't wrap his head around where this is going. "Ok. Andy..." He holds his hands up to get her to calm down.

She's starting to panic a little. "No. No. No. Do you know or not?"

He takes a deep breath. "206."

She's really surprised. "Two hundred and six? I really thought there was more like a hundred and fifty but I guess I haven't really thought about it before."

He needs to distract her. "First time you ever held a grenade?"

She hisses out. "_Yes." _Sighing heavily. "I mean...it wasn't really a goal of mine...but...hey at least if it's the last thing I ever do it's a first...so..."

He can't take it anymore. "I wish I was more like you."

She whispers. "_What are you...?"_

He has to calm his own nerves now. "I wish you were in my head. I wish you could read my mind."

She's getting frustrated and angry. _Isn't she going through enough? Does he have to be so damn cryptic? Why can't he just fucking say what he has to say_? "_What are you talking about?"_

_It's now or never Swarek._ He tells himself. She deserves to know. She _has _to know, just in case... He swallows hard, trying to give some relief to his incredibly dry throat. His breathing is out of control, almost like a panic attack but he pushes through. "I love you Andy. I do." His chest feels like the world has been lifted off of it and he can breathe again.

She can't believe the words that have just come out of his mouth. _Now? He has to pick right fucking now to tell her?_ "_Sam...I'm holding a bomb_!"

He steps even closer and wraps his strong but gentle hands around hers. "So am I."

Collins lets them know ETF is on their way in. Davis tells her the steps he's going to take as he's doing them. He's calm as he does so and that helps her stay calm as well. In a matter of seconds he's got the pin in the grenade and she's free to go. It takes a while after giving her statement but she's finally been able to change. Sam is sitting a bench close by watching her.

He watches her get her things together. He has to tell her, to make sure she knows it wasn't a heat of the moment thing. "You were brave back there."

She shoves things into her bag. _Why is he even here? _"No. Katie was brave."

He wets his lips and takes a deep breath. "Andy...about what I said to you..."

It wasn't like she believed him, as much as she wants to. She shrugs. "It's ok. Heat of the moment...I get it."

He stands up and moves closer. "No. I meant it. It's true..." Stupidity kicks in and he makes a joke. "There are 206 bones in the human body. I saw it on _Grey's Anatomy_ once."

She slams her door and has to keep from punching him. "I'm going home."

Sam doesn't know what's wrong with him. "Come on!"

She turns on him. "You don't get to do this anymore ok?"

He sighs. "McNally."

She shakes her head. "I don't care if you're serious. I don't care if you're joking. _I don't care anymore_." She has to protect her heart. "_So just leave me alone."_

She walks away and he follows her. "I'm not going to leave you alone. I screwed up. Things got tough and I walked away. I thought I was doing the right thing."

_Did he really just say he thought he was doing the right thing? _She turns on him. "Do you have _any _ideawhat you put me through? You broke up with me in a parking lot and for s_ix weeks_ I tried to contact you. You wouldn't answer _any _of my calls."

"Andy..."

She shakes her head. "No."

"Andy..."

She keeps her guard up. "No! It's too late. I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore." She turns to walk away and he blocks her.

He realizes that he may have lost her for good. Panic sets in when she says _I can't do this anymore._ He blocks her attempts to leave. He knows better than to touch her so he holds his hands up pleadingly. "You don't have to do anything. Ok? You don't have to do anything. I'm going to do it all." He lets out a helpless laugh. "I'm going to do it all. I'm going to show you _every single day_ until you say yes. I'm going to cook you dinner. I'm going to take out your garbage. I'm going to walk your dog."

He's actually begging her. Sam doesn't beg. He even looks a little desperate. _Wait! Did he just say walk my dog? _"I don't have a dog."

He's hopeful that she's still listening and _hasn't _slapped him _or_ walked away yet. "Then let's get a dog. A labra doodle, a mutt from the pound, I don't care. We'll bring him home and call him Boo, Boo Radley. I've always loved that for a dog." Andy can't believe what he's saying. _A dog. Really? _ "Ok. Look, can we just start with a drink? Just a drink." He wants to reach out to her. "Please. Andy. Just give me a chance." She shrugs. It wasn't a no. "I'll be at the Penny." He hesitates before he walks away. He's afraid that she won't come and he can't blame her. Not after the way he's treated her the last couple of months.

Andy stands in the hall as he walks away. She can't believe Sam just stood there and poured his heart out to her. The joke aside, he seemed serious. She's just not sure she can trust him again. She starts moving towards the Sally Port when she hears Luke's voice. "Got a minute?"

She looks around. "Yeah." And she follows him into his office.

He leans against his desk. "By now I'm sure you've heard about the task force I've been building." She nods. Every cop in Toronto has been trying to get on it. "I have a spot that's come open and I want you."

She was a little confused. "Luke, I didn't even apply for it."

He nods. "Yeah, I know but if you're interested and after today, I can push you through with no problem. I need an answer right now though."

She can't believe this. She thinks over everything that's happened in the last few months, everything that Sam just said, and she shakes her head. "I can't."

He's really surprised. "You don't owe him _anything_ Andy. _He_ walked out on _you_."

She thinks he has a lot of nerve to even comment on her relationship with Sam. "It's none of your business."

Luke never wanted to return to 15, not after finding out about the two of them. "How can you even think about giving him another chance when you wouldn't give me one?"

She scoffed. "Seriously? What's happened with me and Sam is nothing like what happened with us. You cheated on me with your ex and then tried to hide it."

He held up his hands. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I did Andy. I never meant to hurt you."

She sighed and nodded. "I believe you. But you know we never would've worked out Luke. I never meant to hurt you either but...but I love Sam. I _still_ love him even after everything and I have to know if we have something worth saving."

He nods and says. "Good luck Andy. You deserve to be happy."

She leaves his office and slowly makes her way out of the barn. Having made her decision in Luke's office she slowly walks to the Penny. His silver beast is sitting in the lot. Andy makes her way inside and sees him at the bar. Becca is standing next to him and her heart stops for a second until she sees Oliver walk up and Becca takes his hand with the biggest smile on her face. Sam turns as he hears the door close. He lets out a ragged breath and stands up. _She came._

He'd ordered two shots just in case, picking them up he nods towards a back table. Andy follows him and they sit down. "You came." She nodded. "Thank you." She shrugged and he sighed. "I meant everything I said Andy. If you give me a chance, I'll show you every day."

She nods and quietly says. "We're starting with a drink Sam." Shaking her head and looking down at her hands. "I just...I don't trust you anymore." He nods because he understands. He broke his promise. _You won't get rid of me without a fight. _"I still love you...but...I just...I need time."

Her words hurt but he understands. "I love you Andy. I do and I'm sorry it took what happened today for me to say it. I'll give you whatever you need."


End file.
